“A 47 IRIS re we almost there?” When Cal asked me to go on an errand with him, I thought he meant a quick trip to the grocery store. We have long passed the grocery store and any sign of civilization. “Yes.” He taps the steering wheel to the beat of the music streaming from the radio. “It feels like we’ve been going around in circles for hours.” He laughs. “It’s been thirty minutes. Max.” A lightning bolt cuts across the sky. “It’s about to rain.” “How convenient,” he replies with a dry voice. “Are you going to tell me what you have planned or are you sticking with the element of surprise on this one?” “I’m not the one surprising you.” “What?” He pulls over and unlocks the doors. “Get out.” “Are you joking?” “Unfortunately not. Although I’m sure you wish I was.” I don’t move a muscle. Cal hops out of the car and circles around the hood to open my door. “Come on.” “We’re in the middle of nowhere.” “Stop being dramatic. We passed a Starbucks ten minutes ago.”
“Why are we even here?” I’m too shocked to do anything but follow him out of the car. “Just give him a second.” “Tell me you didn’t set me up.” I look around, trying to find the him Cal speaks of. My comment goes unanswered as Cal jumps into his car and does a dramatic U-turn away from me. His tires squeal as he accelerates down the road, leaving me choking on car exhaust. “What the hell?” I grab my phone from my purse and dial his number. The dick sends me straight to voicemail. I start talking the moment it beeps to leave a message. “You better have a good reason for ditching me like this—” My rant is cut off by a car driving down the road. I’ve seen enough crime documentaries to know nothing good comes from hitchhiking with a stranger. I search the perimeter for somewhere to hide, except I’m surrounded by flat land and a few pieces of garbage. “Fuck. Cal, I’m going to kill you tonight in your sleep. Dead or alive.” As the car gets closer, I realize it isn’t a car at all, but a white minivan. One that looks awfully similar to those serial killer vans everyone warns women to stay away from. My heart pounds harder against my chest, fighting for a way to get out. I cross my fingers and whisper, “Please don’t be an ax murderer. Please don’t be an ax murder—” I startle at the sound of a horn followed by a loud bark. “Need a ride?” My eyes widen at the sound of Declan’s voice. “No fucking way.” I bite down on my tongue and a metallic taste immediately floods my mouth. I guess this is really happening. Declan steps out of the vehicle wearing his best suit. “I have somewhere I need to be, so if you want a ride, you’re going to need to hop in.” He leans against the hood of the car like this isn’t the weirdest situation ever. I open my mouth to ask why Cal set me up, only to be cut off by a clap of lightning. He raises a brow. “So, are we going or do you want to get electrocuted?”
I stomp my way toward the passenger side and open the door. “Drop me off at Starbucks down the road.” “I’m going in the opposite direction.” “Then make a U-turn.” I take a seat before the sky opens up above us. He doesn’t answer me as he shuts my door with a small smile. “What—” My reply is cut off by a dog barking. I check out the back seat and find a massive dog attached to some kind of animal car seat. He is covered in fur from head to paws, and I can barely make out his eyes due to his giant poof. I’m surprised he can even fit in the back seat based on the sheer size of him. “Whose dog is that?” I ask when he opens his door. “Ours.” “Ours?!” The dog barks with a reply. I’m not even going to touch that comment. Instead, I search the directions for the nearest Starbucks on my phone. “Take me here.” He completely ignores my map as he turns in the opposite direction. “Declan!” “I know I don’t deserve it but give me ten minutes of your time.” I’m thrown back into the memory of the last time he asked for ten minutes but gave me ten words instead. I am falling in love with you, Iris Elizabeth Kane. The memory makes me compliant enough to keep quiet as he drives us down the road. Gray clouds part above us. Rain falls against the windshield, and Declan is forced to turn on the wipers to see clearly. The dog whimpers at the sound of thunder. “What made you get a dog?” “You said you wanted one.” My mouth drops open, and no words come out. “It took me eleven shelters to find the one that fit your exact requirements, but somehow I pulled it off. I just hope you like him because there is no way he is ever going back to that god-awful place. They would have put him down if it weren’t for me.” A laugh bursts out of me before I can swallow it. When I made up the story of the dog, I never really thought Declan would actually go out and find one for me. Let alone adopt one that is the size of a bear. “Why would you do that?” My voice cracking mirrors my resolve.
“Why not? You wanted it, so I made it happen.” “And the minivan?” “I thought we might as well have one ready to go for all the kids you want one day.” My vision turns misty. “You can’t possibly mean that.” “I do, and I plan on showing you.” He stays silent as he presses a foot on the accelerator. The rest of the ride is a bumpy one. I’m grateful when Declan stops the van before I throw up from carsickness. He parks us in front of an old farmhouse with boarded-up windows and a porch that looks about ready to collapse. With the way he gets out of the car without an umbrella, I could almost forget it’s raining. He doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by it as he opens my door and holds out his hand. “Come with me.” I blink up at him. “It’s raining.” “I know. That’s kind of the point.” He grabs onto my hand and tugs me out of the car. Raindrops splash against my skin. Declan leads me away from the car, although we don’t make it very far before he stops in front of the worndown porch. Water clings to his hair, skin, and clothes. I’m not sure I look any better with the way my T-shirt is plastered against my body. I’m tempted to seek shelter on the porch, but the wood looks warped and decayed from years of neglect. “What is this place?” “One second.” “Sure, I’ll just wait while I catch pneumonia.” His hand gripping onto mine tugs and rotates my stack of rings until they both slip off. An unbearable tightness in my chest intensifies as I check out my ringless finger. “Wait—” Declan pulls out a ring box from his jacket and gets down on one knee. His face remains a blank canvas, completely devoid of any visible emotion as he looks up at me. My heart pounds against my chest as he latches onto my left hand. “What are you doing?” “Proposing to you in the middle of a rainstorm in a Tom Ford suit.”
Oh. My. God. No way. There is no freaking way he is recreating the story I made up. Right? Wrong. He pops open the ring box, and I gasp. Even without the sun shining down on it, I can tell he bought the most beautiful emerald ring I’ve ever seen. “Iris.” “Yes?” I drag my eyes away from the ring and back toward his face. His hand holding onto mine trembles, and I know it has nothing to do with the rain. I give him a reassuring squeeze. He mumbles something that sounds like here goes nothing, and my chest caves in on itself at his display of vulnerability. “Ya'aburnee1 . As in you bury me. A rough translation for the way I want to leave this world before you because I can’t imagine having to go through a single day without you in it. If this last week was a preview of that kind of life, then I can assure you it isn’t a life worth living. You’re my wife and my best friend. The future mother of my children and the one place that truly feels like home. You’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, not because you signed a contract, but because you love me enough to stay without one. “I want to be the kind of man who is worthy of a woman like you—if it’s even possible. I promise to work every damn day to make sure you don’t regret marrying someone as miserable as me. Because when I’m with you, I’m not miserable at all. You make me happy in a way that makes me afraid to blink just in case it all disappears.” The vulnerability of his words tugs at every single one of my heartstrings. “I’ll give you anything you want—anything at all—so long as you give me a chance to make you as happy as you make me. A dog. A family. A home. I want it all. These are my terms and conditions, take it or leave it because I’m not open to negotiations.” “Only you could make a proposal sound like a business acquisition and get away with it.” “Marry me.” He orders with a smile that could make me agree to just about anything.
“I am married to you.” My tears mix with raindrops, and I’m not sure where one begins and the other ends. “Marry me for real this time. No contract. No inheritance. No expectations other than for you to love me despite all the reasons you probably shouldn’t.” He doesn’t say anything else as he looks up at me. Emotions flicker across his face like a mood ring, switching from happiness to fear. The heavy rain slowly turns to a light sprinkle as I stare at him. To marry him again means to trust him with my heart, knowing he can break it. It means giving him a fair chance to learn from his mistakes and become a better man in light of them. Marriage isn’t easy but neither is life, and I can’t imagine doing either without Declan. Luckily, I don’t have to. “Yes.” The response comes out as a whisper, so I speak firmer, “Yes. I want to marry you.” My legs tremble from the smile on his face as he slides the new ring up my finger. The diamonds surround the green gemstone like sun rays, shining as the sun finally beams down on us. “Those were the most excruciating thirty seconds of my life.” I laugh. “Serves you right after everything you put me through.” He stands and pulls me into his arms. His lips slam against mine, stealing my ability to breathe as he kisses me with every ounce of love in him. Declan’s embrace feels like coming home. My toes tingle and my chest warms, and I get all excited as his lips press softly against mine in a silent apology. Our kiss goes on for what feels like hours. By the time we break apart, both of us are soaked to the bone although the rain has officially stopped. The way he looks at me sends another shiver down my spine. I take a step back, knowing what a look like that means. I clear my throat. “Are you going to tell me what we’re doing out here in the middle of nowhere?” “Showing you our new home.” “Our new what?” I gape at the house. I use the term loosely, seeing as the place looks like it has been abandoned for years. “Let me show you something.” He clutches onto my hand as we circle around the back of the house. “No. Freaking. Way.” I blink.
He smiles. “Do you like it?” I take a step toward a stunning greenhouse. Unlike the house behind us, the greenhouse looks like someone recently came to take care of it. The spotless glass shines, giving me a good idea of the empty space inside. I would need to buy hundreds of plants to fill it. Maybe even a thousand. Declan pulls me against his chest so he can lay his chin on my shoulder. “I thought about letting you pick a place, but when my real estate agent sent me this listing, I knew it was the one. I drove out the same day to check it out and put an offer on it.” “Why?” I croak. “Because there is nothing I want more than to turn a house into a home with you.” Declan needs to come with a warning sign because I’m susceptible to swooning whenever he is around. “It’s beautiful.” His arms tighten around me. “Want to check it out?” “Can we?” He grins as he steps away from me and opens the door. I spend the next five minutes exploring the place, cataloging just how much space I would have. “I think I’m in heaven.” I trail a finger across an empty table waiting to be covered with pots. “So I take it that you like it?” His confident voice doesn’t match the hesitant look in his eyes. He’s nervous. Anxious Declan is my favorite Declan because it’s the version of him no one else knows about. He tries so hard to hide it from everyone else, but around me, he doesn’t mind dropping his guard. It makes my chest all warm and tingly to know he trusts me enough to share that part of himself. Because to someone like him who grew up thinking emotions were weaknesses, it probably means so much more than I could ever imagine. I walk over to him and wrap my hands around his neck. “I love it so much.” “Good. Because if my proposal didn’t work, this was my next best option to convince you to marry me.”
I smack his wet chest. “You can’t buy people’s love like that.” His eyes twinkle. “I don’t want other people’s love. I want yours.” “You already have it.” He blinks. I stand on the tips of my toes so my lips hover over his. “Daisuki.” I press my mouth against his, and he releases a shuddery breath. “Szeretlek.” He groans as I deepen the kiss, only to pull away breathless not a minute later. “Ich liebe dich.” I repeat the same three words he whispered to me back when he made love to me. His eyes shut as if he is experiencing a sensory overload. “I love you,” I finish in English, just to get my message across because I most likely ruined the pronunciation of all the words. “Say it again.” His darkening eyes linger on my mouth. “I. Love. You.” He kisses the top of my forehead. The pain etched into his face guts me, knowing he spent thirty-six years of his life believing he was unlovable— all because of his shitty, abusive father. I cup his cheek. “I will always love you. Today. Tomorrow. Forever.” “You say that now…” His voice drifts off as his eyes dart away. My chest clenches. “And I’ll say it every day until you finally believe it.” “It could take forever.” I trace his wedding band with the tip of my finger. “It’s a good thing all we have is time.” 1 Arabic: “You bury me.”
“I EPILOGUE IRIS One Year Later s he busy?” I stop in front of Declan’s assistant’s desk. “Go on in.” He shakes his head with a smile before returning his attention to his computer screen. I walk up to Declan’s office door and knock a fist against the wood like I’ve done hundreds of times before. His deep rumble of a voice makes it past the door, and I open it before he has a chance to protest. “I told you I don’t want to be disturb—” His voice drops off as our eyes connect. The frown on his face quickly morphs into his signature small smile that makes me weak in the knees. My legs wobble, and I nearly roll my ankle before righting myself. He stands and helps me into my chair before I do something unfortunate like land face-first against the carpet. The way he acts ever since I announced I was pregnant makes me feel like he won’t rest until I’m permanently protected in bubble wrap. “I told you to stop wearing those death traps weeks ago.” Ever since Declan read one horror story about a pregnant woman and heels, he hasn’t let the subject go. I’m afraid I will come home one day to an empty closet and a fireplace burning with all my prized possessions.
“I want to enjoy my shoes while I can still see them.” I pat my small baby bump. “They’re dangerous.” “I’ve been walking around in heels since I was a toddler and discovered my mother’s closet. Don’t insult me like that.” He presses his lips against the top of my head. “How’s my favorite girl?” I almost correct him but hold back. Don’t ruin the surprise. “I woke up without running to the toilet, so I count today as a success worth celebrating.” I place the takeout bag from our favorite Italian restaurant on Declan’s desk. He laughs as he takes a seat in his chair across from me. “What did the doctor say about your morning sickness?” “He assured me the constant nausea is temporary and that it should clear up soon if I’m lucky. He said if, not when. If!” “What’s the point of calling it morning sickness if it lasts all day?” “Because false advertising works wonders on naïve women like me.” Declan chuckles. My heart beats harder against my chest as he grabs the paper bag. He halts right before opening it, and I nearly groan. Calm down before he gets suspicious. Planning a surprise around Declan’s back is hard work. He has made it a point to come to every doctor’s appointment, so I had to work my magic with his assistant to book his schedule solid. Poor Jeff had to deal with his anger all morning. I’ll make sure he gets a nice bonus for his sacrifice. “Did anything else come up?” I shake my head. “Nope. Everything is all good, although I gained ten pounds already.” His grin widens. My eyes narrow, which only makes him laugh. “Good to know I’ve been feeding you well.” “Feeding me? More like spoiling me.” Declan comes home by dinnertime every night just to cook me a balanced meal. At first, I thought it was a one-time thing, but he has made it a point to be home by 7 p.m. every day.
“Get used to it.” “For how long?” Once he becomes CEO, I doubt he will have time for small traditions like that. “Indefinitely.” I blink. “Even when you’re CEO?” “Especially when I am. You keep me sane.” “That’s a terrifying notion, seeing as I cried during a grocery store commercial just last week.” He shrugs. “To be fair, it was a really good advertisement.” My head drops back as I laugh. When I come back up for air, Declan’s gaze is zoned in on me like a spotlight. “What?” His bright eyes match the smile on his face. “I miss having you around here.” My chest tightens, and I’m hit with an overwhelming wave of affection. “Jeff is good at his job.” “Jeff isn’t you.” I stand and walk around his desk. He rolls his chair back and tugs me onto his lap. His hands wrap around me, with one landing on my bump. The content look on his face does something crazy to my heart rate. He leans forward to kiss me, but my growling stomach makes him pause. His brows tug together. “Did you eat yet?” I wince. “No.” He extracts me from his lap before helping me back in my seat. Instead of returning to his chair, he grabs the takeout bag and rips it open. “This isn’t healthy.” I roll my eyes. “Excuse me for being in the mood to celebrate.” “Celebrate wha—” His voice trails off as he pulls out a mini succulent from the bag. The black I’m a succa for my little girl stands out against the white pot. “I thought you could keep it on your nightstand next to the other one.” He turns toward me with wide eyes. “We’re having a girl?” I nod with a smile. “I found out today.” Declan hauls me into his arms and kisses me hard. His arms lock around my body, holding me up while he ravages my mouth. My chest feels close to combusting with the love he showers me in. He doesn’t stop kissing me
until my growling stomach reminds us of the third little person in the room who is hungry. He pulls away. I open my mouth to protest, but stop myself as Declan gets down on his knees in front of me. He kisses my stomach, and I nearly melt from the sweetness of it all. My eyes fill with tears. One leaks out and makes a trail down my face. “I know I’m going to have my hands full with you, baby Kane, but you’ll be worth every gray hair on my head. I can guarantee it.” THE END Want to read more about Mr. and Mrs. Kane? Don’t miss out on Declan and Iris’s extended epilogue. Click here to download.
THANK YOU! If you enjoyed Terms and Conditions, please consider leaving a review! Any review, however short, helps spread the word about my books to other readers. Join my Bandini Babes Facebook reader group for all things romance and bookish updates.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Like Declan with Iris, I’m fortunate to have the best team supporting me with the release of Terms and Conditions. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. To my readers—Thank you. Without your love for The Fine Print, this sequel would have never happened. I appreciate each one of you that read, review, and rave about my books to your friends, family, and followers. Your love for my characters and my way of telling stories has changed my life in the best way possible. Feel free to send me an email or a DM whenever. I read every single one. Mom—Thanks for always reminding me to water my plants while writing this book. They appreciate your dedication to helping them survive while I was deep in the writing cave. Mr. Smith—You might not be a billionaire, but I love you anyway. DP—You might be wondering what the hell is happening as you read this acknowledgment in the middle of a bookstore. Surprise! I write romance books. Don’t feel obligated to buy this copy though. Erica—Solely thanking you for editing this book would be an extreme understatement. Your friendship, pep talks, and support during one of the hardest years of my life means the world to me. Thank you for making my days brighter. Becca—Thank you for believing in me and my story even when I forget to do the same. You push me to be the best author version of myself, and I can’t wait to continue growing with you. Mary—To one of my very first book friends and the person I text most in the world (Sorry Mr. Smith), thank you. Your talent speaks for itself, and I can gush about your kickass graphic design skills for hours, but I’ll save it for a voice note. Kendra—Thank you for helping me bring this book to the next level. You truly are a gem in this book community and I’m grateful to have your
support. From sending me song choices to spreading the word about my books, I can’t express enough gratitude for everything you’ve done for me. Elizabeth T—Thank you for being a part of this project as my sensitivity reader. Your feedback and brainstorming with me really helped bring Iris and her family to life. My beta readers (Amy, Mary, Nura, Mia, Elizabeth, Kendra)—I appreciate each of you helping me make this story come to life. Thank you for putting up with my tight deadlines, imposter syndrome, and constant questions and revisions. Jos—Your text messages and voice notes always make me smile, and I’m so grateful to have you in my life. Thanks for putting up with my terrible texting habits. My Bandini Babes—Thanks for making my group feel like a second home. I enjoy getting to know each of you by name, favorite F1 driver, and book boyfriend you want to claim. To the whole team at Valentine PR—Thank you for helping me make this release possible. To those two lines from Taylor Swift’s Illicit Affairs about a secret language—Thanks for existing. You helped inspire Declan and Iris’s nontranslatable word game.